Working title: Keeping the Family Together
Author: Kristi Florence
Date: August 11, 2008

Subjects:

There were five people who took part in this usability study.  Two were family members actually mentioned on the website, and three were co-workers, one knowing a bit about my family and the other two having no prior knowledge of my family.

Think Aloud Task:

Find out where two of my first cousins live and how old my parents are.

Summary of Think Aloud:

All five people made their way to the family tree ok.  Three of the five took a while longer to find the tab that takes you to the family tree page.  Once there all but one did not realize by clicking on a family member a window pops up with where they live and when they were born.  Four users commented on the color choices and how well they go together.  One user found a link that was not working for one of the family members.  Lastly two people caught that the title at the top of the website by the URL still said “Untitled Document.”

Summary of Post-test Interview

All users suggested making the tabs slightly bigger.  They also commented on the fact that it was difficult to figure out what they needed to do on the family tree section.  They assumed most would not realize each family member was a link.  The suggestion was to add text explaining the hidden functions of the family tree.

Findings to be Implemented

As a result of the usability test, the following changes will be made:

1. I will increase the size of the tabs and add color to help decipher the tabs.
2. The link on the one family member will be fixed.
3. I will add text to the family tree page instructing people to click on a family member to see where they live and what their birthday is.
4. The tab title, by the URL window will be changed to match the title bar in the web page.

All suggestions were found helpful and constructive.  All are workable and able to be accommodated.

(353 words)